


A Little One for the Coven

by mcschnuggles



Series: Schnugg's Regressuary 2021 [25]
Category: Persona 5
Genre: Age Regression/De-Aging, Alternate Universe - Vampire, CGRE - Caregiver/Age Regressor, Caregiver!Yusuke, Gen, Regressing!Akira
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-25
Updated: 2021-02-25
Packaged: 2021-03-16 12:29:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,261
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29700588
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mcschnuggles/pseuds/mcschnuggles
Summary: Yusuke had to turn Akira. He couldn't just leave the human to die, after all.
Relationships: Kitagawa Yusuke & Kurusu Akira
Series: Schnugg's Regressuary 2021 [25]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2138382
Comments: 7
Kudos: 32
Collections: Regressuary, Regressuary 2021





	A Little One for the Coven

**Author's Note:**

> tbh i don't know how this au isn't more prevalent in agere fics

The new set of fangs is always the most painful.

Out of everything that changes—the entire body’s code being rewritten in lieu of a warped, inhuman parody—nothing could compare to a new set of sharp, cutting teeth growing out of your jaw.

“ _Owwww._ ”

Akira isn’t capable of much speech at the moment, but he’s got that word down pat. His face is shiny with sweat, and his breathing is ragged and uneven, stuttering on every fresh wave of pain. The dark circles under his eyes get a little more pronounced with every new fitful hour of half-sleep.

“Oh, poor little one,” Yusuke croons. He threads his fingers through Akira’s hair, but Akira whines in response and pulls away.

Everything hurts too much. He doesn’t want to be touched. And while the rejection stings, Yusuke knows how bad Akira must be feeling right now.

Does he even know why he’s in pain? Why everything’s hurting so much? The pain of the transformation clouds everything for days, but even before that? Does he remember what led up to him being stabbed and left for dead in an alleyway? Does he remember Yusuke finding him, trying desperately to heal him before having to resort to the bite?

Yusuke reaches out to touch his hair again, but Akira is still resistant to touch. Depending on how he’s hurting, he can switch from not wanting to be touched at all to the cuddliest baby on the planet, but it seems they haven’t hit a turning point yet.

There’s a soft knock at the door, one that doesn’t wait before the person behind it lets themselves in.

At the sound—or maybe smell, depending on how Akira’s new senses are developing—of a new person, Akira whimpers, tightening his grip on the stuffed cat in his arms. The old thing is ratty and worn, but Yusuke is pretty sure the name written on its collar reads “Morgana.”

Yusuke shushes him. “Easy, little one.” He turns to Makoto. “Is something the matter?”

“Just making the rounds,” Makoto answers. Her eyes stray to Akira, her face pinched with worry. Like everyone else, she can’t help but hover. “How has he been eating?”

Yusuke gestures to the bedside table, where a baby bottle sits on its side, untouched. “He still hasn’t had his first feeding yet.”

Makoto’s brows raise in surprise. “Well, we have to get him to eat.”

Yusuke tamps down a spark of irritation. “You think I don’t know that?”

Like he hasn’t been trying nonstop for the past hour or so. As if it’s a matter of him not trying hard enough instead of Akira _being in too much pain to do anything_. He doesn’t want to be touched at all, let alone have anything near his mouth.

“Let me try.” Makoto takes a step forward, far too close to the little one for Yusuke’s liking. It’s not her fault, he knows; he’s just become increasingly territorial in the last forty-eight hours.

“That’s not necessary, thank you.”

“Are you sure? Because I could—”

“Makoto.” Yusuke draws himself up to his full height. He’s not a fan of idle threats, and it doesn’t help that he’s the newest and weakest in the coven, but he’s still the one that bit Akira.

The coven has always joked that the ones they bit and transformed themselves are their “little ones,” but the fact that Akira is a regressor makes that all the more true.

If it hadn’t been for Futaba, they may not have even realized that. But in her human life, Futaba had been a psychologist, and she recognized regression gear the second she saw it.

The coven took as much as they could without making it look suspicious. They could take all the regression gear, as well as a couple of Akira’s other personal belongings, but it was a worry in the back of Yusuke’s mind that they didn’t get the right things.

By the time Akira regains his senses, the police will have ruled him a missing person and either taken in his belongings as evidence or had everything disposed of.

“Right.” Thankfully, Makoto backs down. They both know she could beat him in a fight, but it’s a relief that it won’t have to come to that. “It’s not my place to make that call.”

“I don’t fault you. I think we’re all rather anxious,” Yusuke says, casting a glance back at Akira. “It’s not every day that—little one! Please don’t do that!” He manages to pry Akira’s fingers free from his mouth, but not without damage. Blood blooms from his knuckles, seeping into the bedsheets.

The evidence of his new fangs is clear on his hands, littered with shallow slices.

“Oh my God! I’ll get some bandages.” Makoto quickly excuses herself, the door swinging shut behind her.

While Akira is still clearly in pain, the absence of the new, unfamiliar presence takes some of the wariness out of his body. He whimpers, flexing his fingers as he stares at them with dull, glassy eyes, probably wondering why he’s bleeding so much.

Yusuke makes a soft noise from the back of his throat. “Poor sweet baby.”

He holds Akira’s hand, rubbing small circles into Akira’s knuckles with his thumbs as the cuts rapidly close. At least his healing powers are coming along nicely.

Akira repeats his earlier sentiment of “ _owwww_ ,” giving the saddest set of puppy dog eyes he can muster. Yusuke has no doubt those eyes will be a lethal weapon once Akira has recovered.

There’s a knock at the door, but the person that calls out isn’t Makoto, but Haru.

“May I come in?” Haru knows better than anyone just how territorial vamps can be over their younglings. “Ryuji and I have something that we think may help.”

“And bandages,” Ryuji asks, poking his head in without an invitation.

“Of course.” Yusuke rises from his crouch to sit beside Akira on the bed. He wants to be close, even if he has to maintain some sort of distance.

Haru enters first, Ryuji on her heels. She’s dressed nicely, in a crisp white shirt and cardigan, meaning she’d probably just finished up a meeting over video call. “Makoto wanted to be respectful of your space.” Her smile is apologetic on Makoto’s behalf.

“I’ll have to give her my thanks.”

“You mind if I do the honors?” Ryuji asks. It’s very unlike him to wait for the go-ahead, but he only proceeds after getting a nod from Yusuke. Has he really become so territorial that even Ryuji hesitates?

“Hopefully this will discourage him from biting in the future,” Yusuke says. Akira squirms a little, but his hands have long since healed and being bandaged up doesn’t hurt nearly as much as the persistent ache in his mouth.

Haru looks to Yusuke for permission. “If I may?”

Wrapped in a soft cloth patterned with ducks is the top of another baby bottle. And while those items _look_ like they could be Akira’s, Yusuke certainly doesn’t remember grabbing them. Did Haru and Ryuji go shopping?

Not quite sure what she’s referring to, Yusuke gives her a single nod. “By all means.”

Haru switches out the baby bottle tops. The blood inside is at a less than ideal temperature, but it won’t make much difference to a ravenous baby vampire.

“We put this one in the freezer,” Ryuji explains. “It should be better for the pain in his mouth.”

“That might just get him to eat.” Yusuke has to marvel at their ingenuity. He would’ve never thought of something like that.

Haru giggles. “That’s what we’re hoping too. Do you mind if we…” She trails off. It’s not like a vampire’s first feeding is a major milestone, but Akira has been a special case.

And while Yusuke wants to claim this moment for himself, he’d rather observe first, from seasoned professionals. Ryuji had many younger siblings in his old life, and although Haru’s past is a mystery, she also has a breadth of experience with children.

“Of course.” The hardest part is letting go.

Akira fusses as Ryuji lifts his head. His face is pinched in pain, but the most that comes from his lips is pitiful whimpers. Yusuke wonders if he’s always this quiet, or if he’s bound to start howling any minute now.

Haru shushes him, rubbing a hand up and down his leg. She’s the oldest in the coven, so it’s experience guiding her hand. He quiets almost immediately, holding still long enough for Ryuji to guide the teat into his mouth.

Akira latches on immediately. It’s clear that the object is a comfort item of his, made better by the relief it’s providing to his teeth. For the first time since Yusuke has met him, his brow unfurrows.

Haru nods to herself, satisfied. “The color in his face is already looking much better.” She cards her fingers though his bangs, pushing them away from his face, and he’s in such a state of relaxation that he leans into the touch. “I’d stay but I have another meeting.”

Haru quickly excuses herself, giving all three boys a kiss on the forehead on her way out. Yusuke doesn’t know why he’s surprised. Haru’s always been protective of the coven she’s amassed, so the regressor Yusuke’s taken in must just feel like she finally has a grandchild. It certainly explains her—and everyone else’s, for that matter—lack of anger at Yusuke breaking one of their cardinal rules and turning someone.

“Are you intending to stay with me?” Yusuke asks, looking to Ryuji.

“Got nothin’ better to do,” Ryuji says. “’Sides, somebody’s gotta be on standby in case the little guy needs something.”

“He does seem to like you.”

“Here. Trade off.” Ryuji lifts Akira’s head, slipping out so Yusuke can take his place. He teaches Yusuke how to hold the bottle and shrugs off his jacket for Akira to use as a pillow.

“You just want him to recognize your scent,” Yusuke accuses.

“Well, yeah! Makoto said he got tense when she was around. Why do you think Haru left her cardigan?” Ryuji reclines in the bean bag chair they took from Akira’s apartment. Probably not necessary and it could have been easily replaced, but Ryuji claimed it was far too cool for them to leave behind.

Yusuke hadn’t even realized she’d left it behind. That does sound like a good idea, though. They have no idea how long Akira will be out of it, so getting him familiar with their scents first might be a good idea.

“How much longer do you think this will last?” Yusuke asks.

Ryuji hums in thought. “Prolly like ten hours at most. The hardest part is getting them to feed. After that, you’re golden.”

To Ryuji’s credit, the next few hours are significantly easier than what’s come before.

For the most part, Akira’s been sleeping, Morgana in his arms and a paci in his mouth. Ryuji had the foresight to put a couple of his pacifiers in the freezer as well, so a lot of Akira’s pain is being dealt with.

The others flock in and out, mainly to leave an article of clothing. Ann leaves one of her scarves, which Akira immediately latches onto like a security blanket, and Makoto and Futaba both leave t-shirts.

Akira occasionally wakes up, but never for too long. At the most, he’ll reach for the bottle on the nightstand, when his huger gets too be too much, but more often than not, he just wakes up to pull the covers back up around his neck and immediately falls back asleep.

Frankly, Yusuke is just happy that the worst parts are over.

The signs are there. Akira hasn’t been crying as much, allowing him to sleep peacefully for hours at a time, but the confirmation that it’s almost over is that Haru returns.

She grins at them, this time entering without needing to knock. Yusuke wonders, although he’s sure he’d never have the courage to ask, if she’s just developed a sixth sense for these things. She’s barely been with them ten minutes before Akira starts to wake.

Akira sits up, dragging a hand over his face. His movements are slow, groggy, like he’s finally been pulled from a long, deep sleep.

He takes stock of himself, first the plush cat in his arms, then his face. His glasses are on the bedside table, by the discarded baby bottle, just out of his reach.

Akira groans. “Where am I?” He’s speaking mostly to himself, which only becomes clearer when he recognizes the other presences in the room and freezes.

“Hey,” Ryuji says, his voice soft and calm. “Don’t freak out, okay?”

“I won’t.” Akira says slowly. His eyes flit from person to person. Is he putting faces to voices? “I recognize those smells.”

“What’s the last thing you remember?” Haru asks kindly.

“Getting stabbed?” He phrases it like a question, like his own perceptions could be wrong. Akira looks down to his shirt, which is one the coven was able to grab from his closet. He feels for the wound, surprised to feel that there’s no pain. Yusuke’s heart aches for him.

“You were very badly hurt,” Haru says.

“And do you know… what you are now?” Ryuji asks.

That’s always a dangerous question, that comes with more dangerous requests. Sometimes people don’t like to hear what they’ve become. It wasn’t too long ago that one of the people they saved asked to be killed, just because the idea of being a vampire was so disgusting to him.

Yusuke doesn’t know how he’d react to the rest of the coven agreeing to such a request. He’s imprinted, he’s aware, but that knowledge only strengthens his resolve.

Akira nods. “I overheard the key points.” After a moment of deliberation, he grabs his stuffed cat from the bed and tucks it against his chest. “And you know… about me?”

Ryuji nods. “We were able to get your little stuff from your apartment.”

Akira’s eyes drop to the stuffed cat in his arms, realizing for the first time that it’s unusual for him to have it. “Including Morgana.”

“Well, yeah, can’t get better without your friend, right?”

Akira’s lips tug into a slight smile. “Right.” He readjusts his hold, loosening his grip by just a hair. “Thank you.”

“Hey, no worries, man.”

“No, you guys saved my life, right?” He looks around, smiling at each of them in turn. “And you took care of me while I was sick. So thank you.”

“You’re quite welcome, Akira,” Yusuke says. It feels so weird to call him anything other than “little one,” but Futaba warned against treating him like a child all the time. Akira woke up adult, so Yusuke will regard him as any other adult.

Haru crouches in front of his bed, giving him that soft, disarming smile she gives every freshly turned vampire. “My name is Haru. It’s very nice to meet you.”

“Likewise.” Akira holds his shoulders high, like he’s trying to project an image of maturity he doesn’t quite have.

Yusuke can’t blame him. Undergoing the change is like trekking through hell itself, and no one makes it out the other side without feeling somewhat vulnerable.

“May I look at the inside of your mouth, little one?” Haru asks. Apparently she doesn’t share the same sentiments as Yusuke does. “That way I can see if your teeth are done coming in.”

Akira’s arms tighten around his stuffie, to still the tremors in his hands. “Sure.”

To his credit, he doesn’t flinch as Haru reaches for his face. Kind as she looks, no amount of sweet smiles could hide the sharpness of her nails, especially when they’re going right for your face.

She pulls back his upper lip to reveal a set of red, irritated gums. Contrary to popular myth, vampire teeth are more like shark teeth, acting as a second, retractable set.

Akira won’t have control over this second set for a while, but now they look especially painful. At least they aren’t growing in crooked. Yusuke knows from personal experience how awful that feels, to have your teeth methodically broken and regrown until they come in properly. He’s glad his little one won’t have to go through that.

Haru hums in approval. “Those are coming in nicely. I think the worst of it should be over for now.” She thumbs at his cheek. “Poor baby.”

Akira melts a little at those words.

Haru pretends not to notice, instead smoothing out the bandages on his hand. “I hate to press the issue, but you’re one of us now, and we want to make sure you’re safe. Do you remember who attacked you, or why?”

Akira shakes his head. “It’s all a blur.”

Haru smiles sympathetically, but Yusuke can feel how disappointed she is. She hadn’t been happy that Yusuke let the attackers get away to begin with, and with no way to track them down, whatever revenge she’s planning will be impossible. “That’s okay. We’ll keep you safe.” Haru places her hand on his knee. “Would you like to go back into your headspace?” For the first time in his life, Yusuke sees a flash of uncertainty in her expression.

“My head hurts,” Akira says, which is his way of saying yes. The change is subtle, but it’s there. The way Akira curls in on himself, the slightest pout of his bottom lip, can only be him regressing.

Akira glances around the room again, his eyes finally falling on Yusuke with a spark of recognition. It must be hard for him, with suddenly acute senses, to pick out who’s who in this room.

Yusuke can practically see the gears turning in his mind, linking Yusuke to the mystery person that sang to him at all times of the day, that rocked him to sleep, and that retrieved his stuffed cat when he accidentally kicked it off the bed in a fit of pain.

“ _Oww_ ,” Akira whines. He holds out his free arm out in Yusuke’s direction.

Yusuke’s eyes go wide. He never though his little one would be asking for him.

“Imprinting goes both ways, y’know,” Ryuji says. “C’mon, you’re gonna tell me you didn’t have that first year where you followed Haru around like a baby duck?”

He does remember that, vaguely. Or at the very least he remembers wanting her. Haru’s the only one among them who was able to keep a snippet of her old life, that being the company her family owns. She usually operates from the shadows, changing identities every few decades just to throw off people’s suspicions. Nonetheless, she’s a very active force in her company, and her work can often be demanding.

“I guess I never got the chance to be attached.” Yusuke scoops Akira up into his lap, plucking the little one up like he weighs nothing. Akira’s eyes go adorably wide, as if he never expected someone would be strong enough to hold him like one would a child.

“That was a difficult year for Okumura Foods,” Haru says sadly.

“Do you know who I am?” Yusuke asks haltingly. Imprinting is one thing—it was bound to happen, honestly—but he needs to know if Akira actually remembers him.

Akira nods. “Yu-Yu.”

“Is that your nickname for me?”

Akira nods again.

Yusuke chuckles, resting his forehead against Akira’s. “Then I shall wear it as a badge of honor.”

And for the first time, it feels as if their little family is complete.

**Author's Note:**

> mcschnuggles.tumblr.com


End file.
